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Over time, with playing constant playing, do vinyl records wear out?

I am resurrecting my 60's, 70's & 80's LPs. None have a clean apart from the cursory anti-static brush. My question is do these circular vinyl music discs wear out. With a new cartridge needle, gunge or no gunge in the groves, the hard needle material must wear away the indentations in a vinyl record. So no amount of cleaning will save them over time. Friction will win out...
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dragunski
113 posts
 
Yes, records will wear. The heavier the stylus force, the more wear, too. But it's gotta have enough force to track.

If you listen carefully to the cymbals, you may notice a reduction in volume after 30-40 plays. After 100, it's definitely noticeable. 

Mishandling, a cheap conical, or a worn stylus will increase both high frequency fading and ticks. Play the whole side - don't drop or pickup the needle in the middle. And never leave records out to gather dust. Don't touch the grooves, either.

If you do all that, the need for cleaning will be reduced, but there's no substitute for a good washing if you've played it a lot.
wolf_garcia
6,695 posts
 
I used a KLH compact system (Model 20 maybe…no tuner) through the 70s and somehow the Pickering cartridge (had a little attached dust brush) didn't destroy my vinyl. Amazingly. 
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slaw
21,443 posts
 
If your last question resulted from your first listen...1960's...I don't think you'll have anything to worry about.
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amg56 OP
887 posts
 

It was an obvious question to answer: hard needle vibrating in a softer surface jagged groove. I was trying the gauge how long a record would last before the sonic properties were effected. Over a period of time, hearing the same music on vinyl would surely effect the sound. Would a user adjust their system to compensate, thus compromising other areas of their system.

It was just a thought bubble I had as I resume my vinyl journey (from the 1960's). is there anything that can be done to slow the process... besides not playing them as much. I have albums where I may play some favourites more than the whole side. Wear in this case would not be even.

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bdp24
9,788 posts
 
The Last Factory makes a vinyl preservative that prevents wear in the groove of an LP (an LP has only one continuous groove, not multiple grooves). It is used by The Library Of Congress and many record collectors & audiophiles. But you need to start with a clean groove before applying the preservative. That means a wet cleaning, either by means of a vacuum machine (VPI, Okki Nokki, Nitty Gritty, Record Doctor, etc.) or cavitation/ultrasonic.
helomech
1,677 posts
 
Get a decent vacuum RCM or one of the DIY ultrasonic kits on ebay. As for wear from repeated plays, it seems your question was rhetorical.
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amg56 OP
887 posts
 

I remember ticks, pops and the sound dried beer sounded like on 45's and 60's , 70's LPs. These I still have an will be resurrecting them now I have time (retirement).

I probably bought Australian versions of the best LPs, made of the cheapest Vinyl. I now have time to scour the collectors bins for some quality replacements and a good quality cleaner. US$4000 for a top shelf ultrasonic can buy a lot of LPs I can put in the dishwasher (kidding). But then has any one tried a dishwasher, no soap?

larryi
3,984 posts
 
Of course they can suffer wear from repeated playing.  But, most records, if kept reasonably clean, and if played with a stylus that is not worn and one that is properly aligned, will continue to sound good for so many play cycles that you will be sick of any record long before it is worn to the point you do not like the sound.  Noise levels (ticks and pops) tend to rise a bit with age, but, most other signs of wear seem to not be that noticeable.
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